Abstract
ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) related to cervical cancer among the adult women of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.MethodsA cross-sectional study, involving 594 patients visiting the Gynecology and Obstetrics outpatient departments of Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital, Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, was done. The study questionnaire (interviewer-administered) included 26 items to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practices related to cervical cancer and was formulated and validated with the help of gynecologists and epidemiologists. Descriptive statistics were used to present the knowledge, attitude, and practice level of respondents. The respondents’ knowledge, attitude, and practice score was compared across gender and level of education. Data analysis was done using SPSS v 23.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, US) at 95% CI.ResultsA total of 346 (58.2%) women heard about cervical cancer and 210 (35.4%) women heard about the pap smear test. Thirty-five women (5.9%) underwent a pap smear test in their lifetime. More than half (51.7%) thought that undergoing a pap smear test is embarrassing. But 382 respondents (64.3%) will undergo a pap smear test if the test is provided free of cost. Unmarried women had a better KAP score as compared to married women (13.58±5.14 vs 9.12±4.04, p<.001). The KAP score was significantly different in respondents with different levels of education (p<.001).ConclusionThis study showed a better KAP score as compared to previous Pakistani studies but, still, there is plenty of room to improve. Women of developed countries have significantly better knowledge, attitude, and practices related to cervical cancer. Local authorities may run a free pap smear screening program in communities to detect cervical cancer early.
Highlights
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide [1]
A total of 346 (58.2%) women heard about cervical cancer and 210 (35.4%) women heard about the pap smear test
382 respondents (64.3%) will undergo a pap smear test if the test is provided free of cost
Summary
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide [1]. The present exact rate of the incidence and prevalence of cervical cancer is not known in Pakistan because it is an ignored disease in terms of screening and prevention [4]. In 2002, the prevalence of cervical cancer in Pakistani women was 0.009% while in 2008, it was 0.019%, according to advance research started by the World Health Organization (WHO) [5]. As Pakistan is a developing country, human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major threat to public health. HPV screening is generally not implemented in Pakistan. In Pakistan, to date, it is a taboo to discuss sexually transmitted diseases and sexual education, due to which most of the female population, mainly from the rural areas, have a poor understanding of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and gender-specific cancers. Cervical cancer caused by HPV is ranked the third major contributing source of
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